Local Rotorua roofer Steven O'Callaghan, run down in the closing stages of last year's Rotorua Marathon by Scott Winton, has returned to finish off the business this Saturday.
O'Callaghan stumbled metres from the finishing line in Government Gardens, while leading, allowing Winton to snatch the victory.
This time O'Callaghan is not mucking around coming in with the by far the fastest estimated time of the 2050 entrants of 2h 22m.
However O'Callaghan will face a tough customer in Dale Warrander who is keen to emulate the great Jack Foster's four titles.
The legendary Foster won in 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1975 stamping his mark on the iconic event that has stood the test of time.
Warrander has notched up victories in 1996, 2004 and 2005 and the top podium placing this time around will see him equalling Foster as the only four time winners.
The 36 year old will cross the Tasman for the 46th annual event as he now lives on the Gold Coast Queensland with his wife Janelle and two children Boston and Ella.
"I haven't raced in Australia yet as I am just getting myself and family settled into life over here and building my personal training business up," said Warrander.
"I am not in the best shape I have been in but still OK. I would be happy with the win and to emulate Jack Foster's feat would be great as he was a great New Zealand marathon runner."
The Athens Olympian has estimated a time of 2h 24m going into the race. As well as O'Callaghan, Warrander will be up against 34 year old Japanese runner Tsutomu Saeki who has indicated a finishing time of 2h 25m. Saeki, who has a best of 2h 18m 18s, was second at Rotorua in 2007 to Craig Kirkwood with a time of 2h 29m 54s.
However the ones to watch are the Tauranga trio of Ben Ruthe and the MacDonald twins of Iain and Kyle. These three have been training together solidly leading up to Rotorua. Last year in his marathon debut Iain MacDonald was third and also won the prize for the fastest first time marathon recording 2h 29m. Iain has estimated 2h 26m while for Kyle it will be his first marathon and he has not estimated a finishing time.
Ruthe, who was fourth last year, will decide on the day whether to race with the MacDonald twins who he trains or with his wife Jessica who is in top shape and capable of going under 2h 40m.
Australian Rick Cooke from Whittlesea Melbourne, who is in the 45-49 age group, has estimated that he will equal his personal best time of 2h 28m on the Rotorua course.
Glynn Hadley of Christchurch, sixth last year in 2h 32m 37s and fifth in 2007 in 2h 37m 23s has travelled north again to tackle the demanding course and has estimated a realistic 2h 30m.
Jessica Ruthe of Tauranga will have her eye of the clock as she circles the Lake. Ruthe is in her best shape for some time and recent training and races indicate that she could well go under the 2h 40m barrier and threaten Nyla Carroll's 1994 race record of 2h 37m 37s.
Her husband Ben says that Jess is in better shape now than when she ran 2h 49m 55s to win the Auckland marathon last November. She has conservatively estimated a finishing time of 2h 45m.
At the recent New Zealand track and field championships in Christchurch Ruthe ran an almost solo 5000m in 15m 57.30s beating Nyla Carroll by nearly a minute for the national women's title.
Jess will follow up Rotorua with the Christchurch half marathon in June and the Gold Coast marathon in July where she hopes to crack the Commonwealth Games selection standard of 2h 37m.
Victoria Humphries of Wellington, second last year and convincing winner of the 45-49 age group in 2h 56m 37s, has estimated a slightly faster 2h 55m this time and should take a major placing.
Lesley Turner Hall of Auckland and first time marathoner Auckland's Larissa Richards have both estimated times of 2h 50m. Turner Hall has built up an impressive record at Rotorua over the past four years with a fourth in 2006 in 3h 00m 56s, second in 2007 in 2h 51m 56s and fifth in 2008 in 2h 57m 13s.
Local Rotorua runner Annika Smail, who excels in multi terrain mountain races, has estimated that she will finish in 2h 55m.
With out doubt the loudest reception at the finish will be for 60 year Bernie Portenski as she attempts to add yet another age group record to her cv. Portenski has estimated 3h 10m which if she achieves it will take her well under the W60 record of 3h 20m 51s held by Betty Cornwell since 1990.
Portenski will also be interested in giving the world record for a 60 year old woman of 3h 14m 50s a nudge. The record was set by Betty Miller of USA in December 1999 in Huntsville Alabama.
"I'm not meant to be racing too hard as I have the Christchurch half marathon coming up and the Gold Coast marathon," said Portenski.
"But that record of 3h 20m 51s is there for the taking," she said.
Portenski who holds the world W50 10,000m record of 36m 34.24s will be attempting the world W60 half marathon record in June and will attempt the marathon record on the Gold Coast in July.
